It all started when Howard walked in on a top secret meeting between the government and his childhood ‘friend’. This was the last thing he had expected, especially since he had just walked into his own house! The next thing Howard knew he was dragged along to an adventure he wanted nothing to do with, and even forced to play an important part. It was a simple deal. The gathered criminals, and Howard, would go out to space, take readings on a strange anomaly, and come back with their names cleared. All fun and games before they went through the vortex. (This fiction will be participating in the Royal Road Writathon Challenge)